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ISU Strength of Schedule

For how much everyone has dogged our out-of-conference scheduling and our SOS, when you look at things in comparison to others, we really aren't that bad. As you can see below, we've got an overall rank of 124 and we are 6th overall in our conference. The Hawks are wwwaaayyy worse too as theirs is a measely 225 our of 347 total teams.

So, while our SOS isn't great, I wouldn't call it terrible at all either. Personally, I don't want a terrible SOS, but I also don't want to be in the top 25 either where we get beat to shreds before conference time. From an RPI perspective, I think anywhere in the top 50-125 range isn't a bad place to be. So overall come tournament time, while I don't think our SOS will help us tremendously when they are comparing teams, I also don't think it will hurt us either.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

Our strength of schedule comes from everyone we've lost to unfortunately. The upside of any non-conf loss is it gives the coaches something to work on - exposes our weaknesses.

You are mostly correct, but we do have a few other so-so wins that help our RPI (BYU especially). The good news at least is that, while we don't have any super good wins, we at least don't have any bad losses. One could argue that a bad loss hurts you more come tournament time than a good win in the non-conference. Last year, we always had that stupid Drake loss looming over our head. This year, we don't have that.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

We just have to navigate the B12 with no bad losses and throw in at least a couple of quality wins. Any bad losses better be offset by a win over a tournament team. There are a few teams in this league that a loss could cripple us.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

Originally Posted by Cydkar

We just have to navigate the B12 with no bad losses and throw in at least a couple of quality wins. Any bad losses better be offset by a win over a tournament team. There are a few teams in this league that a loss could cripple us.

I agree. I personally think an above .500 record without a loss to either TCU or Texas Tech would probably barely be enough to put us in (those would be terrible losses if we had one). The recent increase in RPI of the Big 12 has helped this cause a bit over the past couple weeks.

Probably the team that scares me the most is Texas. They've proven lately that they are better than their record shows, or at least CAN be better than their record shows. However, they've got beat down so bad in the non-conference with some terrible losses that a loss to them could easily be classified as a bad loss (hard to believe a loss to Texas is ever classified as a bad loss) or will at least hurt our RPI pretty badly. I also wouldn't be surprised if Texas improves a lot more as the year goes on. That wouldn't be good for us or the Big 12's RPI at this point.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

Originally Posted by Triggermv

For how much everyone has dogged our out-of-conference scheduling and our SOS, when you look at things in comparison to others, we really aren't that bad. As you can see below, we've got an overall rank of 124 and we are 6th overall in our conference. The Hawks are wwwaaayyy worse too as theirs is a measely 225 our of 347 total teams.

So, while our SOS isn't great, I wouldn't call it terrible at all either. Personally, I don't want a terrible SOS, but I also don't want to be in the top 25 either where we get beat to shreds before conference time. From an RPI perspective, I think anywhere in the top 50-125 range isn't a bad place to be. So overall come tournament time, while I don't think our SOS will help us tremendously when they are comparing teams, I also don't think it will hurt us either.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

Originally Posted by ISUCyclone06

A loss to Texas will not be a bad loss, they are likely a bubble team.

If that is the case, they've got a lot of work to do. A 7-5 record with a 149 SOS says otherwise right now. I'm not saying they don't have the talent to pull it off, but they are going to need to win a ton of conference games to make it that way.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

This is a surprise to me, it just goes to show you how poor most Power conference teams schedule. To me it says more about how pathetic other teams must schedule than about how strong our schedule is. NCAA tourney bids are earned the same way bowl games are, cupcake non conference then hope to be a middle of the road conference team to get it.

As far as our schedule BYU is a bad team, like has no business in the tourney conversation bad but they only play Gonzaga and St Marys from here on out so they'll likely finish 3rd in the WCC and be in the hunt for a bid. That should help us out all year, that national misconception should work to our benefit.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

Originally Posted by heitclone

As far as our schedule BYU is a bad team, like has no business in the tourney conversation bad but they only play Gonzaga and St Marys from here on out so they'll likely finish 3rd in the WCC and be in the hunt for a bid. That should help us out all year, that national misconception should work to our benefit.

If you've payed any attention to the Pac 12 the past few years, you should know this is not true. Just because you finish 3rd, doesn't mean the country will perceive you as being good but I don't think BYU has that problem. BYU isn't a "bad" team. Their RPI is at 38 right now, obviously that may drop but that win actually might help us get in the tournament this year.

Re: ISU Strength of Schedule

If you look at most teams, they have only played one ranked team all year and a lot of those ranked teams they played are no longer ranked. Or they have played no ranked teams. There are at least 3 top 25 teams that have yet to play a ranked team this year. That Vegas tourney made our SOS the way it is this year.

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